Virginia man loses 176 pounds to join police department

RICHMOND, Va. - A man in Virginia lost an incredible 176 pounds in order to fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer.

Richmond police said at his heaviest, Romar Lyle weighed over 400 pounds -- which prevented him from pursuing a career in law enforcement.

“I knew I wanted to do something in Law Enforcement, but at that moment there was no way I would have been able to achieve that dream at my current weight," Lyle said. "If I wanted to work in this field, I had to keep working on my health and fitness.”

While attending graduate school, he began attending CrossFit classes and dropped more than 100 pounds. That gave him the motivation to keep going.

“One of the most empowering feelings is going into a store and buying clothes right off the rack and knowing it will fit. Or going to an amusement park and not having to worry about weight limits or not fitting in the seat,” he said.

He kept losing weight while in the police academy, dropping an additional 30 pounds. He said his fellow recruits helped support him in his effort to lose weight.

Lyle and the rest of his class graduated from the academy this past week.